WE DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THE MOSQUITOES ARE BAD RIGHT NOW, WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF MOSQUITO AWARENESS WEAK. THE BITING BUGS ALSO CARRY DEADLY DISEASES. BUT WE ARE NOT AS DEFENSELESS AS YOU MIGHT THINK. THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO ABOUT MOSQUITOES FOR FREE. CHANNEL 4 VIC MICOLUCCI JOINS US LIVE WITH WAYS YOU CAN BITE BACK. CAREFUL OUT THERE, VIC. I'M TRYING TO BE CAREFUL. THESE LIGHTS ARE ATTRACTING SOME OF THESE BUGS, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THIS RAIN WE GOT OUT AT THE BEACH. PEOPLE HERE, A LOT OF THEM MOW TO DUMP OUT THE STANDING WATER. THAT'S EASY AND HUGE FOR GETTING RID OF THE MOSQUITOES BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS ENOUGH. SAY YOU'VE GOT A BIG DITCH HERE WITH A LOT OF WATER BEHIND IT, TOM AND MARY, THAT COULD BE A BIG PROBLEM. WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR AREA DO NOT KNOW IS YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET YOUR COUNTY WORKERS TO COME OUT HERE AND FIX THE PROBLEM AND YOU CAN DO IT WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND A DIME. IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. MOSQUITOES. THEY LOVE IT WHEN IT RAINS. AND THEY BREATHE IN THE WATER THE STORMS LEAVE BEHIND. AND EXPERTS SAY THE BITING BUGS KNOWN TO SPREAD ALL SORTS OF DISEASES ARE GETTING BIGGER. BUT PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK, LIVING ON A LARGE RANCH IN SAINT JOHN'S COUNTY NEAR I-95 AND 207. HE USES THE COUNTY TO HELP OUT. AND BESIDES THE TAXES HE AND EVERYONE ELSE PAY, IT'S FREE. ALL THESE YEARS WE USE THEM OFF AND ON. IT'S NOTHING NEW. ANASTASIA MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT WILL COME BY YOUR PROPERTY AND INSPECT IT FOR PROBLEMS. IF THEY FIND ISSUES, THEY WILL WORK TO FIX THEM. ASK THEM FOR ADVICE AND THEY GIVE YOU SOME GOOD ADVICE AND THEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT ADVICE. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. WE KNOW WHEN THEY HAVE TROUBLE, WE GET A LOT OF RAIN. PATRICK KENDRICK IS AN INSPECTOR AND REFERS TO SERVICE CALLING. YOU SEE ONE ON ME. YEAH, YOUR FINGER. OKAY, THIS RIGHT HERE IS JAPANESE MOSQUITO, ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO. HE SAYS HIS JOB IS THREE-FOLD. STILL DAMP. HE LOOKS TO SEE IF THERE IS, INDEED, A BUG PROBLEM. HE WORKS TO GET RID OF THE INSECTS AND THEN HE TRIES TO TEACH HOMEOWNERS THE WAYS TO KEEP THEM FROM COMING BACK. WE FOLLOWED PAT FOR A DAY AND SAW HIM IN ACTION. MOSQUITO CONTROL IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, ANY COMMUNITY, TO PREVENT ANY OUTBREAK OF ANY TYPE OF ENCEPHALITIS. STANDING WATER CAN BE THEIR BEST FRIEND AND YOUR WORST ENEMY. HE SPRAYS THE WATER THAT CAN'T EASILY BE DRAINED WITH CHEMICALS. BUT SOMETIMES TAKES A MORE PRIMITIVE APPROACH WITH M INN OW. EXPERTS SAY MOSQUITOES NEED A SMALL AMOUNT OF WATER TO BREED IN. THEY CAN GROW IN JUST ONE TABLESPOON. EASY WAY TO FIX A LOT OF YOUR PROBLEMS WITHOUT CALLING THE COUNTY IS TO GET RID OF ANY BUCKETS OR CONTAINERS WHICH COULD EASILY COLLECT WATER. ONE TIRE, BREED ENOUGH MOSQUITOES FOR AN ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH TIRES. WHAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT SOME PLANTS CAN COLLECT WATER AND BREED BUGS. PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT. WHILE PAT IN SAINT JOHN'S COUNTY AND MOSQUITO CONTROLLER AMONG THE MOST PROACTIVE, YOU CAN GET THE SAME KIND OF TREATMENT IN JUST ABOUT EVERY MAJOR COUNTY IN OUR AREA. OFFICIALS TELL US DUVAL, CLAY, NASSAU, COLUMBIA, AND SOME PARTS OF BAKER AND FLAGLER COUNTIES OFFER SIMILAR SERVICES WHERE PROPERTY OWNERS CAN CALL AND REQUEST INSPECTIONS. NOTHING WILL GET RID OF OUR SIX LEGGED FOES ALL TOGETHER, BUT THE LOCAL PROGRAMS CAN MAKE YOUR LIFE OUTDOORS A LOT BETTER. I THINK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF IT A LOT MORE. SO IF YOU WANT TO GET A MOSQUITO INSPECTOR TO SPRAYER OUT TO YOUR HOME, YOU CAN CALL YOUR LOCAL COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE A COMPLETE LIST COUNTY BY COUNTY WITH THEIR WEB SITES AND PHONE NUMBERS ON OUR WEB SITE, NEWS4JAX.COM. JUST CLICK ON THAT MOSQUITO STORY IN THE TOP STORIES COLUMN. LIVE TONIGHT AND TRYING NOT TO GET EATEN ALIVE BY THE BUGS, I'M VIC MICOLUCCI. CHANNEL 4 THE LOCAL STATION. GOOD JOB WITH THE LONG SLEEVES, VIC. I KNOW THE MOSQUITOES ARE BRUTAL WHERE I LIVE. WHAT ARE THE WORST MONTHS AND WHEN SHOULD WE BE MOST CAREFUL? MARY, WE ARE IN THOSE BAD MONTHS. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER. BECAUSE MOSQUITOES LOVE TWO THINGS. THEY LOVE THE HEAT SO THAT THEY CAN BREATHE. THEY ALSO LOVE WATER AND WE KNOW THAT THIS IS THE RAINY SEASON. IN FACT, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR AREA GOT A LOT OF RAIN TONIGHT. WE GOT A LOT HERE IN NEPTUNE BEACH AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS DITCH BEHIND ME. SO UNFORTUNATELY THAT MEANS THAT THE MOSQUITOES, THE LARVAE ARE TRYING TO BITE US IN TWO TO THREE WEEKS. JUST MAKING ME ITCH RIGHT NOW. I'M SORRY.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -

Mosquitoes are everywhere this time of year. The summer months, especially June, July and August are the worst because it's the rainy season. Mosquitoes love it when it rains because they breed in standing water left behind after a storm. And the bad news is, experts say the biting bugs, that are known to spread all sorts of diseases, are getting bigger.

People like Edison Burney (right) are fighting back. He lives on a large ranch in St. Johns County near I-95 and 207. He uses the county to help out. And besides the taxes he and everyone else pay anyway, it's free.

"I ask them for advice and they have some good advice," said Burney. "You don't have to pay for the advice."

Patrick Kendrick is an inspector sprayer with St. Johns County and is one of the people who responds to service calls. And Kendrick knows mosquitoes. He points to a mosquito that landed on him and is able to identify it right away.

"You see on one me? OK, this one right here is an Asian Tiger, Japanese Mosquito," he said (referring to the mosquito on his hand).

Kendrick says his job is three-fold. He looks to see if there is indeed a bug problem. He works to get rid of the insects and then he tries to teach homeowners ways to keep them from coming back.

We followed Kendrick for a day and saw him in action.

"Mosquito control is a very important part of any community to prevent any type of Encephalitis," said Kendrick.

He found mosquitoes and larvae in ditches. Remember, standing water can be their best friend and your worst enemy. Mosquitoes only need a small amount of water to freed, in fact, they can grow in just one tablespoon.

So, Kendrick sprays chemicals in the water that can't easily be drained, but sometimes he takes a more primitive approach, with minnows (pictured, below). Fish eat the mosquito larvae and therefore can fix a lot of problems.

An easy way for you to fix a lot of your problems without calling the county is to get rid of any buckets or containers which could collect water.

"One tire will bring enough mosquitoes for an entire neighborhood, so you have to be careful with tires," warned Kendrick.

Also, many people don't realize some plants can collect water and in turn breed bugs. Vermilliads are notorious for it.

While Kendrick and St. Johns County's mosquito control are among the most proactive, you can get the same kind of treatment in just about every county in our area.

While we didn't hear back from every single county we contacted, officials tell us Duval, Clay, Nassau, Columbia and parts of Baker and Flagler Counties offer similar services as St. Johns County, where property owners can call and request inspections. We're told Putnam County only sprays on county roads.

Nothing will get rid of mosquitoes altogether, but experts say the local programs can make your life outdoors a lot better.

The Florida Department of Health recommends the 5 D's to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes:

Dusk and Dawn -- Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are seeking blood. For many species, this is during the dusk and dawn hours.

Dress -- Wear clothing that covers most of your skin.

DEET -- When the potential exists for exposure to mosquitoes, repellents containing DEET are recommended. Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, and IR3535 are other repellent options. DEET is available for FREE at many county health departments.

Drainage -- Check around your home to rid the area of standing water, which is where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.

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